Warm upsApril 28-May 6

April 28Why are many children’s banks shaped in the form of a

pig? During the Middle Ages, metal was scarce and expensive. Household utensils were made of a clay known as pygg. In time all dishes were known as pygg. In those days people did not save their money in a bank. They placed it in a jug or jar. The container was known as a “pygg bank.” Centuries later a manufacturer was asked to produce a pyggy bank. Not knowing the origin of the term, the manufacturer mistakenly produced a bank in the form of a pig, and the idea became popular! The paragraph tells mainly— A. What dishes were once made of B. What dishes were once called C. How a misunderstanding resulted in the piggy bank D. Why household utensils were not made of metal

Answers April 28The paragraph tells mainly— A. What dishes were once made of B. What dishes were once called C. How a misunderstanding resulted in the piggy bank D. Why household utensils were not made of metal

April 29Everyone knows that pigs have short curly tails. Have you

ever wondered which way their tails curl? Most people haven’t. However, a farm and live stock study group in the state of Michigan wanted to find out the answer to that question. Their investigation showed that 50 percent of pigs’ tails curl clockwise, 18 2/3 percent curl counterclockwise, and 31 1/3 percent curl both ways. Now you know. Very clever are those Michigan agricultural researchers!

The paragraph tells mainly— A. Why pigs have short curly tails.B. What ways pigs’ tail curl.C. When pigs’ tails curl.D. What causes pigs’ tails to curl.

Answers April 29The paragraph tells mainly— A. Why pigs have short curly tails.B. What ways pigs’ tail curl.C. When pigs’ tails curl.D. What causes pigs’ tails to curl.

April 30The notion that a horseshoe is lucky dates from ancient times.

The grounds for the belief vary widely. In ancient times, iron was considered a sacred metal. Another theory is that the horseshoe acquired its magical reputation because it is similar in shape to the crescent moon, once considered a symbol of good luck. Still another theory is that the superstition is somehow related to the mystic number seven, the number of nails in a horseshoe. At any rate, the belief goes back to the time of the Romans. In modern times, President Truman hung a horseshoe above the door of his office in the White House.

The paragraph tells mainly-A. Why the horseshoe is considered a lucky symbol.B. Why the number seven is lucky.C. What president hung a horseshoe outside his office.D. How the horseshoe resembles the moon.

Answers April 30 The paragraph tells mainly-A. Why the horseshoe is considered a lucky symbol.B. Why the number seven is lucky.C. What president hung a horseshoe outside his office.D. How the horseshoe resembles the moon.

May 1You may have never heard of a waltzing mouse, but there is

such a breed. This kind of mouse is produced by selective breeding. It is believed to be of Japanese origin. The waltzing mouse has a habit of suddenly interrupting whatever it is doing and spinning around rapidly like a top. One mouse may spin around in circles, and another may move in a straight line. It is believed that this waltzing is caused by an inherited defect. Inside the ears. This defect interferes with the mouse’s balance.

The paragraph tells mainly-A. What origin of the waltzing mouse is.B. How the waltzing mouse got its name.C. What the effects of heredity are.D. How a waltzing mouse is tamed.

Answers May 2The paragraph tells mainly-A. What origin of the waltzing mouse is.B. How the waltzing mouse got its name.C. What the effects of heredity are.D. How a waltzing mouse is tamed.

May 5• The United States has a vast amount of newly discovered clean geothermal

(natural heat from the Earth’s crust) energy. Tapping into this energy source could provide at least 10 times the energy that can be obtained from the nation’s known coal reserves.

1. What does “vast” mean?

a. a large amountb. not enoughc. dangerousd. having no known use

2. Which word in the above paragraph means supplies that are available to be used?

a. geothermalb. tappingc. continentd. reserves

May 5 Answers• The United States has a vast amount of newly discovered clean geothermal (natural heat

from the Earth’s crust) energy. Tapping into this energy source could provide at least 10 times the energy that can be obtained from the nation’s known coal reserves.

1. What does “vast” mean?

a. a large amountb. not enoughc. dangerousd. having no known use

2. Which word in the above paragraph means supplies that are available to be used?

a. geothermalb. tappingc. continentd. reserves

May 6• Using IQ tests and MRI brain scans, researchers have found that the measurable intelligence

of teenagers can rise and fall over time. We used to believe that intelligence was static. But now, because of new studies, we know that teens and even fully mature adults can grow more brain cells when needed.

3. What does “static” mean in the above selection?

a. noiseb. not changingc. moldyd. unreal

4. What are researchers?

a. people who lose thingsb. people who search for knowledgec. creatures from Marsd. students who don’t study

May 6 Answers• Using IQ tests and MRI brain scans, researchers have found that the measurable intelligence

of teenagers can rise and fall over time. We used to believe that intelligence was static. But now, because of new studies, we know that teens and even fully mature adults can grow more brain cells when needed.

3. What does “static” mean in the above selection?

a. noiseb. not changingc. moldyd. unreal

4. What are researchers?

a. people who lose thingsb. people who search for knowledgec. creatures from Marsd. students who don’t study